Sled.



sLElx A PQLIUATIQN FILED 11111126; 1916.

' Patented-Apr. 11,1911.`

JHN 0. NEIJSN, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

SLED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

intenten am. it, uur

Application filed May 26, 1910. Serial No. 563,601.

'to 1l/ einem it man concern.'

ie .it known that i', Jeux Nelson, a citizen oi' the United r'tates.y residing at; Vi'rtiircester, in the county of Vi'orcester and bita'te ot ttassachusetts, have invented ecrot which the t'eliowing is a speciiication.

M1: invention relates to in'iprorements in sleds, an'.i the leading object ot' my invention is the provision otan improved form o't -sted which can be more readiiy guided than the conn'non forms of sleds now in general use and which will therefore loe'especiaily desirable tor children and ladies or others at present prevented from sliding:r on account ot' inahilitvt7 to guide the sled by dragring the feet or by lack of strength to satisfactorily bend the runners of the sleds of the liexible type.v

A. it'urther object ot' my invention is the provision ot a readily steerable sled which shall hare means s lcuretflthereto for rapidly .stopping the same. 'lio attain the desired objectsof my inveir tion. my sled cons in a main sled haring an additional guiding runner andhaving brakes carried b t 'the bodvi7 of the sled for stopping the saint', the invention further residing in the .novel features ot' construction and combination and arrangement ot' parts tor service substantially as described and as illustrated in the act'fompanying drawings.

Figure 1 represents a top plan View ot the preterrctfl .torni ot my invention, the partsI underlying dotted lines. Figi'. 2 represents alongitudinal Vertical sct'tional View of the sled. Fig. Il represents a similar View ot a modified i'orin thereot, and, Figi. irepresents a View ot' the guiding' runner thereof removed and illustrating' the brake settin and securing' i'neans.

in the drawings in which similar characters-ot relrrence are employed to denote corresponding,r parts in the several riews. the numeral 1 designates the rear runners, there being` a. pair` ol: said sections connected by suitable braces 2 to retain them in spaced relation, while supported by. said runners.I either through the medium of the brackets it or the integgralljT 'formed lugs or projections -1 in the seat board 5, said board having;l atorwardly extending' portion (3 ot' reduced width extending' beyond the forward ends o'l the runners and having' a socket '.7 formed in said portion surinounted bracket- 5:3.

the cover being indicatcd in 'by the bearingf` `straight course ,l'lxtending downward through the bracket and socket is the guiding shaitit or rod S) having' on its upperend the handles l() extendin e' laterali)Y therefrom at right angles there to7 while dngaged on the shaft 9 and beartain new and useful Improvements in rleds,

ing against the. bracket 8 is a collar ll serving to secure the shaft in position. The portion ot the sha'lt below the seat board is o'l' larger diameter than the bore of the socket and bracket and terminates in a,bit`urcated lower end 12 having openings 13 formed therein in which pintle ift on which is mounted the front single runner 15, pins 16 being engaged in the ends of the. pintle Afor securing the same in position. It will be observed that the runner does not extend entirtly to the top of the slot 17 hetweenthe two portions of the lower end otl the shat't and that said slot is slightly curved, thus permitting the runner 15 to rock therein and accommodate its position to the inequalities of the surface over which it is passing while but slightly moving the shaft and intthis manner providin` a niuch easier riding sled than it the front runner were rigidly secured to the guiding shaft.

Thet'shaft t) is preferably formed 'from metal tubing although it will he understood that it may be made of wood or other inaterial, in which case the bit'ureated portion is provided with a socket engaging' the lower end ot' the shaft` while to limitv the upward moven'ient ot' the shaft and ruimer and cause the runner 15 to support a part ot the weight on the seat board, the shaft is luovided with an enlargen'ient or collar 18 A which bears agaiiistthe under side oi'l the seat board a washer 1t) being interposed between the parts to facilitate the rocking` ot' the shatt to shit't the guide runner Extending `forward trom the shaft is a pintle 2t), while the board is provided on its under side with a pair it' abutrnents 2l 'tor limiting the niort-ment ol` the shait and thus prevent the runner troni beine swung* beyond a certain angle and lesscnine the liability ol' upsetting: oll the. sled due to n'iaking too short turns as ol'ten occurs.

To aid the rider in keeping the sled in :i and prevent' zig-:cae or wild running thereolI l secure on the4 under side of the board 5 a brace :22. while secured to said brace centralliy ot its length is a sprungr member 223, lsaid spring beine' preterabliJ ot: elliptical or doubt(` bow lortu und extending' forward and having itsv other end secured are engaged the securing.

' gaged on the lug 27, the rocking of the shaft bending the spring in the same -manner'as in the form shown in Figs. l and 2.

.F rom the foregoing description taken in connection Iwith the drawings it will be seen j that I have provided a new and improved form of steering mechanism for sleds whichA can be readily operated by any' one, young or old and whichr will therefore greatly enhance the pleasures of sliding, in that it in-v sures safety of riding and of ability'to turn out of theway of obstacles for those unskilled in the sport which is no'w enjoyed only .by the skilled, and it will be understood that-the tension of the spring will vary according. to the size ofthe sled and the relative strength of the person for whom it is intended. i

To further increase the value and safety of my sled I have applied thereto an i1 proved brake for stopping the sled, two forms of the same being shown in the drawings and both embodying the same idea, the one, however being applied to the single runner while the other is applied to the pair of rear runners. This brake, as shown in Figs. l and 2 consists o f an Lshaped member 28'pivotally secured to each of the runners by the bolt 29, said member having a pointed end 3() and having an eye 31 formed i 1n the other end in .which is engaged one end of thelink 32, the, other4 end of said link being vpivotally secured to the rock Shaft 33, journaled in the bracket-plates 34 secured on the under side said'board having a slot 35 formed vtherein above the rock shaft through which extends the operating handle 3l; for rocking the shaft, the ends 3i' of the shaft. -being bent downward and when rocked throwing the links and thus the arm of the L-members secured 'thereto upward and bringing the points El() into engagement with the surface over which the sle'd is passing, if desired a segment. 3S being carried by the board and adapted to be engaged by 'a dog 39 carried by the handle to look the handle in adjusted position to have the brake constantly retard the progress of the sled. To limit themovement of the member. 28 and keep it'in engagement with the road I provide an abutof the board 5,'

ment 40, and to return the same to normal position and retain it out of pperatio'n I secure to the pointed arm a spring 41 having 6 its other end secured to the runner, a second abutment 52. being provided to limit the pivotal movement -of the member under the) in'iuenee of the spring. In the modified form shown in Figs. 3 and 4, I employ a similar member 43 to the member 28, said member 43 being pivotally secured to the runner 15 and having its pointed arm 44e extending down behind the runner, while a link 45 extends upward along the shaft 9 and connects the member with the lever 46, said :lever being pivotally secured vto the shaft and having a handle or grasping portion 4T, while a spring 4 8 is placed between the lever 46 and the handles S 1.0 for holding the lever and brake in operative position, this form thus providing a brake which can be operated without removl ing thel hand from its grasp of the steering handles.

It is evident that I have provided a simple, cheap and durable sled which may be manufactured from either wood or metal and which is thoroughly eliicient and de.- sirable in every particularand will recom- 9 mend itself to all as safe and extre'uely easy to control.

I claim:

In a sled, the combination with a seat board having a forward extension, of a pair 9 of runners secured to the rear portion of said board, the board having a reinforced socket formed therein, a steering rod' passing through said socketand provided with handles on its upper end, a bifurcated castl ing secured onv the lower end of the steering rod and bearing against the seat board, a runner mounted between the bifurcations of the casting and pivotally secured thereto, the casting at the base of the bifurcated portion being convexed to permit of slight 4rocking of the runner on its pivot, lugs proiecti ing from diametrically opposite sides of the casting and in alinementl with the runner, a guide-bracket secured to the board 1n which one of said -lugs is adapted'to move, and \a bow spring member having one endy secured to the'other lug and the other end tothe seat board, said spring yielding Lwhen the casting and thus the runner'is turned but tending to throwl said runner back lnto parallel` alinement with 4the rear runners, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' JOHN O. NELSON. litnesses JOHN BAXTER, GEO. M. SHRErrr. 

